


Running Away

by dinkitandrhinkit



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Homophobic Language, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Not Mutual Pining Though, Pining Link, Pining Rhett, Young Rhett and Link
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 10:18:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13702455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dinkitandrhinkit/pseuds/dinkitandrhinkit
Summary: Link confesses his love to Rhett, knowing that no matter what, Rhett will stay with him, even as just friends.But Link was wrong and runs away. What happens when he comes back to North Carolina after years away and sees Rhett again?





	Running Away

**Author's Note:**

> This fic uses homophobic slurs and period and location typical homophobia. If this is a trigger, back out now. 
> 
> I wasn't in a great place while I was writing this, so it's not a happy ride.
> 
> I wrote this in three sittings, so again, very little editing.

"Rhett, I love you."

Link had known the risks, knew it was wrong to feel how he felt. But he'd been so sure that no matter what, no matter how Rhett reacted in that moment, their friendship would survive.

He'd been wrong.

"Link, cut it out, man," He'd glanced around the room, terrified of being overheard. They had Rhett's childhood home to themselves for the afternoon, but he still couldn't help looking around, in case Cole was hiding somewhere, ready to ridicule his younger brother.

"No, I won't. I love you. And sometimes I look at you and I think you feel it too," Link was practically pleading, his eyes staring into Rhett's, looking for any sign he wasn't making a mistake.

"You're bein' gross. I ain't no fag," Rhett's accent was thick and his voice deep. He was becoming a real man. Link's voice was still too high and he knew what people said about him.

They'd both heard the rumours, the insults about how close they were. When they were younger, they'd just laughed it off. But as soon as it had impacted Rhett's chances with the girls, Link had been pushed away. God, it had hurt so bad, but he'd understood. He'd just finally had enough.

"There's no one else here but me. You can talk to me. Tell me I'm not crazy," He opened his arms and leaned forwards, but Rhett flinched away and Link felt his heart break. Never in all their years of friendship had Rhett ever seemed so... scared of him. Like he'd catch the gay from him.

"Stay away from me, queer," Rhett sneered and Link wanted to cry, but it would just give Rhett another reason to be disgusted by him, so he held it in.

"I'm sorry, Rhett. I was wrong, OK?" Now he was just trying to salvage what he could, but Rhett stayed closed off from him, aloof and radiating discomfort.

"I can't be around you anymore," He said. It sounded almost sad, but it was firm and Link knew in that second that they could never go back. If only he hadn't said anything.

"What about college? Are we still gonna share a dorm?"

"No. I can't share with some filthy fag." Every word he said cut Link deeper and he felt like he was bleeding to death. All his dreams, all their plans, were fading away. He couldn't breathe, still holding in the tears.

"If that's how you feel." He couldn't be here anymore. Rhett had made himself more than clear and he knew that he'd messed up everything he'd ever wanted.

Rhett didn't try to stop him as walked out of his bedroom. Didn't call out to him as he walked down the hall. Didn't run after him as he went down the stairs. He paused at the front door, still hoping against hope. But Rhett didn't appear and didn't try to stop him as he walked out of his life.

~~~

For the next week, Link didn't hear from Rhett. Now there was no school to force them together, with their graduation barely a few weeks ago, they only saw each other when they turned up at each other's houses, ready for a new adventure.

Rhett didn't turn up. He didn't ring and neither did Link, not ready for the onslaught of emotions that he knew would come when he saw him again.

Another week went by without a word, but every time Link left the house, he felt the stares, heard the whispers. He made up his mind. He was glad that for some reason, he'd left his backup plan open. Maybe he'd known all along that he'd need it.

When he told his mother that he wasn't going to NC State anymore, she'd cried and been so confused. But he couldn't let that sway him. He'd committed himself to this plan of action and within another week, he was on the plane, sobbing as he watched his old life disappear.

~~~

L.A. wasn't what he'd imagined. It was big and he was lonely. Going to college and studying film had been his dream for so long, but not like this. Not alone and scared. Not running away, but running forward into their future together. Maybe he'd been naïve to think it would work out that way.

It wasn't all bad though. He'd been able to reinvent himself here. He was no longer one half of a whole. He was just Link. No one noticed when he'd turn to say something to someone who wasn't there. They didn't hear the echo of another name always paired with his. They just saw him.

He was able to be a new version of himself. No one judged him here. Half the guys in his classes were gay but instead of it making him feel like he belonged, it made him feel more isolated. He wasn't like these guys. They might have been comfortable with who he was, but he wasn't.

He tried to make friends, and he did, but he never let them get too close. Every time he felt himself getting attached, as a friend or more, he couldn't help but see Rhett's face as he'd last seen him and he'd push them away.

He made friends with the girls around him and almost succeeded in thinking that he could make it work with one of them. But he knew deep down that he was kidding himself, so he enjoyed their friendship and tried to forget everything that had led him here.

His life was fine. It wasn't his dream, after all, it had been their dream together. But as he worked behind the scenes of big movies, living a life he never imagined he could have, he was relatively happy. So many people would kill to be in his position. He should be happy.

He didn't go back to North Carolina often. His mother moved to Georgia with his step father not long after he left for L.A. These days the only reason he had to visit the place he grew up was to visit his dad and extended family.

Every time he did go, he made sure to not go out too much, travelling straight from the airport to his dads’ house, and avoiding everyone as much as possible.

He avoided discussion of his childhood best friend and after a while, everyone knew not to bring him up. They didn't know what had happened between them. Link suspected that his half-sister Lauren at least knew the truth, but he never asked and she thankfully never brought it up.

~~~

This system of avoidance worked for close to 8 years, until his grandfather died and he flew back to attend the funeral.

The family gathered together at his fathers’ house the day before the funeral to make last minute arrangements and console each other. Lauren cornered him and, after giving him an uncomfortably long hug, started the long avoided conversation.

"Rhett's gonna be at the funeral," She began. He cut her off.

"No, I don't wanna hear it."

"I think you have to hear this. He's bringing someone," She was being cautious, which confirmed his suspicion that she had her suspicions. 

"Stop. Please. I don't care," He lied. Of course he cared. He cared too much. 8 years had gone by, but the pain had never healed. It was as fresh as the day he walked away.

Their father interrupted them then, calling them back to say goodbye to their relatives for the night, before tomorrow would bring them all together in grief. He was more than happy to skip the rest of this conversation.

He didn't sleep. He thought about jumping on a plane and getting the hell out there. But he couldn't exactly skip his grandfathers' funeral. Besides, it should be Rhett that avoids him, not the other way around.

But that didn’t make the overwhelming dread go away.

~~~

The next day, he joined the line of family greeting all of the mourners as they filed into the church. 

He saw Rhett long before he reached him. He'd grown even taller since they'd last seen each other. Link watched him out of the corner of his eye as he approached. 

He was flanked by two men, one was clearly his father James McLaughlin who, though much older, Link would have recognised anywhere. The other was a young man Link had never seen before. There was no beautiful woman he could have belonged to anywhere in sight and Link started doubting his sister's warning.

When their group reached him, Link said his greetings to Mr McLaughlin stiffly, accepting the condolences, but not hearing them. All the while, he felt Rhett's eyes burning into him.

He couldn't breathe under the scrutiny and when Rhett finally stood in front of him, he took up every inch of Link's senses. He was tall enough to eclipse everything around him, his smell, even after all these years, was calming and familiar. His blond hair was longer and styled up with his curls carefully arranged. He looked healthy, tanned and strong and so handsome in his best suit.

He had changed, but he hadn’t changed.

His sharp eyes met Link's as he stepped up, offering Link his hand with a shy, nervous smile. Link took the hand and shook it. It was solid and warm and Link lost himself for a second.

Rhett's voice broke his daze.

"I'm sorry, Link," His voice was soft and sincere and deeper than Link remembered. It sent a shiver down his spine. He couldn't reply, barely remembering how to breathe.

The man behind Rhett entered their space with a fake sympathetic smile that set Link's teeth on edge. He was a young man, probably 5 years their junior and he had the most beautiful blue eyes Link had ever seen. He was tall too, not as tall as Rhett, but at least Link's height. His dark hair was almost black and he stood tall and thin in his suit. He looked smart, with thick glasses and an air of total confidence. And he was pretty, if a man could be called pretty, clean shaven and youthful.

He looked away from the handsome stranger's face, only to look down and see the man's hand situated possessively on Rhett's waist.

"Link, this is my partner, Will." The man extended his hand, but Link didn't move to take it. He had frozen, brain unable to compute the information.

When Will withdrew his hand, accepting the rejection, Rhett asked, "Are you OK, Link?"

Link gave a breathless and slightly manic giggle. He stammered a weak "I'm sorry, I can't," and retreated as quickly as his legs would carry him to the bathroom, stumbling and dizzy.

He locked the stall door, sinking to the floor and letting his tears flow hot down his cheeks. 

Here he was, at his grandfathers’ funeral, hiding in the church bathroom, sobbing harder than he ever had before. He wasn't sobbing that his grandfather was gone, though he should have been and he felt infinitely guilty for it.

He was sobbing that the man he'd loved, the man he'd trusted, had wanted to spend the rest of his life with, one way or another, had decided he wasn't good enough. He'd broken his heart, made him hate himself and turned around to find another, younger man. He'd lied and now Link knew it wasn't that he was a man that Rhett had rejected him.

It was that he was him.

He heard a knock on the door, his father's panicked voice telling him the funeral was about to start. He needed to get himself together. He pulled himself up, wiped his face as best he could on his decorative pocket square and took a deep breath.

He unlocked the door and without a word, followed his father into the church, keeping his head down as he made his way to the front pew, not daring to look around. But it didn't matter. After all these years, he could still sense Rhett. He knew without looking exactly where he was sat and as he took his place, he felt the man's eyes on him again.

Like some cruel joke, the pastor presiding over the funeral was Cole. At least the family resemblance wasn't so great that he could still bare to look at him. 

The funeral itself wasn't a sombre affair. His grandfather had been a jokester and his funeral was a celebration of his life. For a few moments, Link let himself travel back in time to being younger, playing at his grandparents’ house in summer. He could almost feel the sun on his skin and hear the laughter of two carefree boys in his ears. But when his grandmother stood to thank everyone for paying their respects, he was doused with the cold reality again.

~~~

Everyone gathered at his grandparents’ house after the funeral for food and a catch up. Link had hoped that Rhett wouldn't be amongst those there, but he'd been disappointed. At least his young boy toy was nowhere to be seen.

Link avoided him, keeping out of sight, until his cousin waylaid him by the buffet table and Link felt ice creep down his spine. He turned to find Rhett right there, not two feet away, watching him, not even pretending he wasn't.

Link again excused himself, escaping out the back door and down the garden until found the gate that led to the horse paddock next door. He'd barely regained his composure when Rhett appeared in front of him again.

"Leave me alone," Link sighed, but he knew it wouldn't work. He’d known that he’d be followed. Maybe he’d even hoped he would.

Rhett simply stood in front of him, waiting. They both knew neither would back down from the confrontation, but Link was so tired. He closed his eyes and resigned himself to it.

"What do you want, McLaughlin?" 

"I just want to talk," He murmured. The sun was setting and Link could hardly make out his eyes in the fading light, but he didn't need to. Even after so long, he knew every expression.

"So talk." Link crossed his arms and squared off against him, leaning back against a fence post. It screamed defensiveness.

"I'm sorry," He repeated.

"That it? He was 76 and a life-long smoker. It's not exactly a shock." He rolled his eyes.

"You know that's not what I mean, brother," Rhett replied softly. He was being too nice and it was more infuriating than if he'd been yelling.

"Don't you dare call me brother. You no longer have that right," Link hissed.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"You're a broken record and if that's all you have to say, I have to get back to my real family," He moved as if to leave, but Rhett stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. The hand quickly retreated, but Link stayed, despite his every instinct telling him to run.

"Link, please. I've waited so long."

"Yeah? Well so have I," He wanted to hurt this man who he once had loved more than anything. He wanted to punch him, or tear him apart with relentless insults. He held himself in check. For now.

"I'm sorry for what I said that day, what I called you. You have no idea how much it's tortured me," Link scoffed, but Rhett carried on, clearly needing to say his piece, regardless of whether Link wanted to hear it or not. "I was confused and scared and I was wrong," He sounded so honest, but Link couldn't bring himself to care.

"Yeah, you were. So how long have you and Will been together?" He asked, sass turned up to 11.

"Almost a year." He sounded so happy, almost wistful. It made Link want to vomit.

“Huh. I'm surprised you weren't fucking him the day I left."

"Link, stop it. I didn't come here to fight." His calm demeanour never wavered and Link needed to keep needling until he cracked. He refused to be the only one angry by the time their fight was through.

"What did you come here for Rhett? To show off? To rub my face in this?"

"No, of course not. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

"That's three times now. I get it. You're sorry, blah, blah, blah. You can go now, with your conscience free and clear. Happy now?" He should have walked away, but he sensed the dam in Rhett cracking. A few seconds passed before it broke completely.

"Not until you believe me, Link. Fuck... I was so jealous of you, ya know?" 

"Jealous? Of me being a fag? Looks like you caught up to me on that." He overtaken him. Link had never had a boyfriend. He'd never even kissed anyone. And here was the homophobic son of a bitch who had ruined his life, happy and living the life Link wanted.

He'd been off chasing Rhett's dream while he was here living Link's. Life was fucked up sometimes.

"No. You accepted yourself. You had your family who accepted it. You moved to L.A. where you could be open about it. I didn't have that. My dad can still barely look at me. Living in a small town, it's not easy," His voice broke and Link laughed a joyless snort.

"Newsflash jackass, I didn't have it easy either."

"What?" Rhett looked baffled and Link was glad.

"You thought I just accepted this? Fuck you. You know when I told my mom?" He asked the rhetorical question, but waited until Rhett shook his head to continue, "Four years ago."

"But..?"

"You were the only one I told. For years, Rhett. You were it. I trusted you. I..." _Loved you_. He couldn't say it, but they both knew it.

"You think after the way you reacted that I was jumping at the chance to tell everyone? You think I've told my dad? He'd disown me." The thought of his dad finding out had caused so many panic attacks and sleepless nights. 

He stopped. They were both shell shocked and Link was panting from his manic ranting. He took a few deep breaths, calming himself before he looked into Rhett's eyes properly for the first time in almost a decade.

"God, Rhett. You broke me," His voice shattered and he cursed himself. He'd planned this encounter for all of those years. Thousands of times. Every possible scenario, from punching him, to running into each other's arms. The second had seemed so impossible before, but Rhett was with a man now. Not that it changed anything. It was still impossible, just for different reasons now. 

In all his imaginings, he'd never seen this scenario coming. Apparently neither had Rhett, who stood slouched in front of him. 

"I didn't..." He started, but couldn't continue. 

"No, you clearly didn't. You've said your piece and you've hurt me more than enough. Please, just leave me be." He did walk away this time. The sun had set behind him, the faded light just enough to guide him back towards the house. 

"Did you leave because of me?" Rhett whispered after him. He turned back to deliver one last blow.

"Fuck, Rhett. Not everything's about you." It was a lie and they both knew it. But Rhett didn't call him on it. 

Link thought he heard a soft, heartbreaking "Goodbye, Link," as he closed the door behind him, but he couldn't be sure and he didn't stop to find out as he disappeared back into the house and back into the role he'd always played. 

~~~

Rhett didn't reappear and he was glad. 

He saw Lauren watching him, sending him knowing looks he deliberately ignored as he circulated, talking to family members he'd not seen since he'd left. 

He couldn't ignore her forever though and as soon as the house mostly cleared of guests, she cornered him yet again. 

"I'm sorry. I did try to warn you," She whispered. They were hiding in the dining room, ostensibly clearing the table. 

"Why would I need to be warned? Rhett can do as he pleases." Whether he was talking about turning up to the funeral or dating a man, he wasn't sure, but he was hoping his sister would assume the former.  

She didn't. 

"So did he break your heart or did you break his?" His eyes darted to the open door, through which he knew both his grandma and dad were, along with other assorted relatives who had stayed to help with clean up.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” He said, keeping his eyes down as he gathered up the dirty plastic cups that littered the table.

“When you left, everyone thought one of two things; either he came on to you and you rejected him, or the other way around. Most people thought it was you who’d done the dumping, especially since you were the one who left and then when he started dating Andy…” Link’s head was spinning. Who the fuck was Andy? Will wasn’t the first? How many had there been? “But I think it was the other way around, wasn’t it?”

Link didn’t reply, just nodded.

“I’m sorry, Link. What happened?” She placed the soiled paper plates in a pile beside his stack of cups and wrapped her arms around him.

He didn’t know how good it could feel to have someone just accepting him and willing to listen until he had it. His ma tried, bless her. But he’d never told her about Rhett. Everyone in L.A. knew about his orientation, but he couldn’t tell them either.

“I told him I loved him,” She gasped and gripped him tighter. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears, but all it accomplished was to bring the image of a younger Rhett to mind. They’d been laughing and joking, making plans for their future together, when Link had been overwhelmed with love and he’d made the mistake that had forever changed his life.

“He called me all sorts of names, fag, and queer. He flinched away from me. He told me that he couldn’t share a dorm with me, didn’t want to be seen with me.” The image in his mind flashed back to the one image that had stayed with him all these years – the disgust. He’d relived it more times than he could count and it still hurt.

“So you left.”

“Yeah. After our fight, I never saw him again. He abandoned me, so I left. I loved him so much,” He’d begun to cry and she pulled back to watch him.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“Who would I have told? Everyone would’ve hated me if they knew. Can you imagine how dad would have reacted?” He sobbed.

“Probably not well, I have to admit,” His dad said from the doorway. Link froze and his heart stopped.

“Dad… It’s not…” He didn’t know what he’d heard, so he didn’t know how much he would have to lie.

“It’s OK, son. I’ve known for years. Hell, I prob’ly knew ‘fore you did,” He shrugged. He wasn’t an emotional man, certainly wasn’t the physical type, but as he gave Link a few pats on the back as he joined his kids, Link knew that it was OK.

“You knew?”

“O’ course I did. It took me a while to get alright with it, and I’m not gonna wanna see you kissin’ some fella, but it’s OK.”

“Oh God,” Link sobbed. Lauren hugged him again as he finally understood that all these years he’d held on to the fear and hurt and he began to let it go.

~~~

Now he’d had the confrontation with Rhett, he didn’t confine himself to his dads’ house anymore. He was going to be in town for another two weeks, wanting to be there for his grandma and dad as long as he could before he needed to get back to work.

He found himself running some errands the next Saturday. He’d run to the store to grab a few things, when he saw a woman who made his stomach flip. She didn’t notice him at first, but when she did, her face lit up and she greeted him like a prodigal son.

“Well, as I live and breathe, if it isn’t Lincoln Neal,” She put down her bags and gave him a hug that felt like home.

“Mama Di,” He greeted, hugging her firmly. She was still as comically short as he remembered her being. Rhett had outgrown her by freshman year of high school.

“How’ve ya been, Link?” She asked, looking at him with eyes that reminded him of Rhett so much he wanted to run.

“I’ve been good, ma’am. How’re y’all?”

“I’ve been much as always,” She continued staring at him and he fidgeted under her scrutiny, “Say, if you’re not in a hurry to leave, would you mind joining me for a cup a tea?”

He couldn’t say no to the woman who had, for the majority of his life, been like a second mother.

“I’m in no hurry,” He replied, trying not to let his fear show.

~~~

They settled at a table in the café, with their drinks, Mama Di with some green tea and Link with his mocha Frappuccino with almond milk. She clearly judged him for his choice of drink, but didn’t comment.

Link stared at cup as he took long sips, ignoring the burning and desperately trying to put off conversation. As a mother, Di had a way of being kind, but interrogating him all at once. He knew he’d have to be strong, but after the tumult of the last few days, he doubted his ability to withstand it.

“I’m sorry I didn’t make it to your grandfathers’ funeral. It’s just that all the boys were goin’ and someone needed to stay home and watch the grandkids,” She began. He panicked for a second, which she must have seen, because she quickly clarified, “Cole has two little ones now, didn’t ya know?” She had a knowing smirk on her face which Link ignored.

Of course, Rhett didn’t have kids. He was a gay man. It was one thing to be a gay man in the south, which was generally not accepted. The idea of a gay couple having kids was absurd.

“It’s fine, ma’am. I just didn’t know that Cole was even married, that’s all” He’d missed so much in the lives of everyone he had once considered a second family. Well, more like a third family, with his mom, his dad and the McLaughlin’s.

“He got married about 7 years ago now.” She took a tentative sip and grimaced as it burned.

“I’m glad to hear it,” He was. He’d always liked Cole. He was like the annoying older brother he’d never had.

“How are your mother and step father doing these days?” She questioned, blowing on her drink to cool it before taking another sip.

“Good. They’re doing good,” Link nodded, sensing that the conversation would soon be changing. She had brought him here for a catch up, that was for sure.

“Your accent has certainly changed and the sun’s done you some good. The west coast must agree with you,” She said.

“Maybe,” He hesitated.

“I think you must have seen Rhett at the funeral? Jim said you had,” She sounded innocent, but Link knew better.

“Yeah. We saw each other,” He hedged. If Rhett hadn’t told her about his meltdown, he sure as hell wasn’t going to.

“Listen, Link, I don’t know what happened between you and Rhett, and I don’t suppose it’s any of my concern, I just don’t want you hurtin’ him again.”

“I wouldn’t… I didn’t…” He didn’t know how to react to that. How could he possibly hurt Rhett?

“I’ve never seen anyone so broken as he was when he found out you’d left. Jim and I were sure he was going to jump on a plane and fly over there to find you.” Link imagined it like a scene from a movie. The main love interest flying across the country to declare their endless love and devotion. Maybe 5 years ago, the thought of it would have been the sweetest dream. But now it just seemed like a cruel joke.

“He almost flunked out of college. James was close to jumping on a plane himself, just to drag you back here and tan your hide.” Link knew only too well that James McLaughlin took education seriously and the thought of one of his children dropping out would have been his worst nightmare.

They sat in silence. Link wanted to ask questions, find out how Rhett had been, when he’d come out, what he’d told them all about Link leaving. He wanted to tell her everything, how Rhett had broken his heart and how he’d regretted leaving every single day. But he couldn’t. No knowledge on either side could take them back in time. Nothing could be fixed.

“Are you happy, Link?” She eventually asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” He answered instinctively. It wasn’t quite a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either. He was alive, existing from day to day, letting life happen, but never chasing after it.

She saw through his avoidance bull though, like only a mother could.

“No, you’re not. I’m not glad to hear it. I feel like I should be. But you were like my own son. It broke all our hearts when you left without a single goodbye.” For some reason, he’d never let himself consider the impact it’d had on everyone else. He’d been so wrapped up in himself and Rhett that even his own mother begging him to reconsider hadn’t broken through.

“I’m sorry, mama,” He couldn’t bear to look at her pitying face, so he went back to staring into his cup, suddenly wishing it would shrink him like Alice and he could escape down a rabbit hole.

“What’s done is done. I want you to be as happy as Rhett. It took him a long time to get there, and it sure weren’t easy, but he got there. I wanna see you as happy in your choices, Lincoln,” She took his hand and when he looked back up, he saw tears shining in her eyes and another weight was lifted off his shoulders.

“Thanks, Mama Di.” He gave her a watery smile.

~~~

The next day, he headed to the airport. He wasn’t scheduled to be back at work for another week, but he had some things to take care of. This time as the plane took off, he couldn’t help but smile.

He arrived back at his L.A. flat, noticing for the first time the lack of personality. It was spotless and Spartan. He headed out to Target, determined to find some knick knacks, photo frames and anything to give it some life.

He dropped in to see his boss next, handing in his resignation. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, but he’d always sort of been interested in being a hairdresser. He’d shied away from it, knowing the stereotype of male hairdressers, but he was a gay man, so why not just embrace it?

He called his friends, determined to go out and start living again. He organised for a night on the town, which shocked all of his friends, who’d never known him to be the partying type. He knew that he wasn’t, but he was sick of living life from the sidelines, sick of waiting for life to come to him. Maybe for the first time he’d meet someone who would sweep him off his feet and make life worth living.

Life wasn’t prefect and he’d made mistakes. Seeing Rhett again had stirred up all the feelings he’d thought were long buried. Maybe one day he could feel that for someone else. Maybe one day he could head back to North Carolina with his head held high, boyfriend on his arm and no weight on his shoulders pushing him down.

He just hoped that everything would work out and for the first time in a long time, he actually believed it could.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just going through some stuff. I'm gonna hide under my blankets for a while, feel free to leave comments and I'll see them when I emerge again.


End file.
